Ice-manufacturing apparatus



Nov. 24, 1925.

ICE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 01/. 9 q d. a f 90 F T L 3- J Akd7 8. LJ v j) u v Bl? S 5 (2 F:

Patented Nov; 24, 1925.1

UNITED STATES ALBERT CHARLES DAVIS,

. 1,562,871 PATENT OFFICE.

or LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

ICE-MANUFACTURING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 27,1919. Serial No. 347,858.

To all whom it may concer'm.

Be it known that I, ALBERT CHARLES DAvIs a subject. of the, King of England, residing at 20 Morningside Road, Bootle,

Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, Enginto compartments or cells by a series ofparalleLhollow partitions. In these hollow partitions a refrigorific agent, as brine or ammonia is circulated, causing the Water to freeze in the form of a plate or block. To release such frozen plates or blocks from the compartment or cell walls is the purpose of this invention and I attain such release withthawing purposes.

out the use of hot gases and without diminution of freezing in the compartments or cells adjacent to those in which the thawing is occurring for the release of the ice.

Briefly described, I provide a circulating system for the refrigerant so that the refrigerant may be first expanded in the hollow partitions of the tank for freezing purposes, and then circulated, without expansion, for The circulation causes the refrigerant to be cooled for further use.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a refrigeratory apparatus embodying features of my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a continuation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, and for the purpose of understanding this invention the two sheets can be placed side by side so as to make one complete view.

As illustrating the most essential parts of a refrigeratory apparatus, T shown a compressor d, a condenser -k-, a receiver T?;-, and compartment or cell walls of a tank --d. The compressor is connected to the condenser in the usual manner and extending from the receiver Z along the walls -dare refrigerant. inlet pipes 1 and 2, the pipe 1. being connected to the pipe 2 by a branch pipe awith valves A and D adjacent the branch these valves may be adyusted to direct the refrigerant into the pipe 1- or into the pipe 2.

pipe a so that The inlet pipe 1 communicates with expansion valves C and these valves communicate with headers or manifolds-b have ing a plurality of branch pipes --cleading tothe walls of the tanks -d-. These same walls have'discharge or return ipes --g-. communicating with suction eaders or manifolds -f-, which inturn are adapted communicate, through valves F, with a discharge pipe 3 extending along the tanks dand connected to the compressor J. The refrigerant can be circulated for freezing purposes until the ice on the walls or plates has reached a required thickness, and in order that the circulation may be reversed for thawing purposes other connections are provided. 4

The inlet pipe 2 is connected by pipes -hto the suction headers '--fand on said pipes are valves --E, which during the freezing circulation are closed, but are adapted to be opened, together with the valve -D to permit of the refrigerant entering the suction heads -f--, pipes --g-, pipes 0, headers or manifolds band from these headers through valves B and by-path pipes -e-- to the inlet pipe 1. The valves 13 and the pipes ewill establish communication between the inlet pipe 1 and the headers hwhen the expansion valves --'-C- are closed.

In addition to the by-paths e-- and valves B--, T may provide by-paths -e" My invention will now be described by aid of .the accompanying drawings, wherein and expansion valves .-G- between the headers or manifolds fand the discharge pipe 8. By opening the expansion valves G- any liquid remaining in the tank walls or plates can vaporize slowly into the discharge pipe 3 without disturbing the tank or tanks. already in the process'of freezing. The valves -G- are permitted to remain open until the whole of the'liquid re.- frigerant has vaporized from the walls or .plates which have been thawed, after which the headers b--, and inlet pipe 2 may be, connected with the'he aders -b instead of the headers 'f.

The refrigerator apparatus may be either. operated for freezing or thawing (purposes, and to place the apparatus in con ition for freezing, the following adjustments are made. Valves A, G, and F are opened and header f v the open valve F to the suction line pipe 3 of the ap aratus.

valves D, E, B and G are closed. The re- "frigerant asses from the condenser through pipe 2 to t e-branch--a-, through valve A, pipe 1 and valve C to header b.= From this header the refrigerant-passes through pipes C to the several tank walls or plates and returns b pipes --g to the suction rofn where it When t e ice on the walls has reached the required thickness the valves C and F are closed, to isolate the tank, and to release or thaw off the ice from the tank walls or plates, the following adjustments are made. Valves D, E and B are opened, and ,valves A, G, C and F are closed.. In consequence or delivering liquid refrigerant to the freezing walls under refrigerant-evaporation conditions to producethe freezing, and meansfor deliveringthe refrigerant to said walls while maintaining the refri erant under pressure sufficient to prevent material asses throughsaid supply lines is active to produce the freezing, said means being operative to disconnect the suction line from such flow-path when the other of said supply lines is active within the flow-path. I

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that the ap aratus includes a plurality of freezing umts, and characterized by a. flow-path for the refrigerant leading from either of two lines of refrigerant supply, each line having controllable connection with the main source of supply, a suction line, means operatively connecting the suction line to such flow-path when one of said supply lines is active to produce the freezing, said meansbeing operative to dlsconnect the suction line from, such flow-path when the other of said supnlv lines is active within the flow-path, the control connections of the flow-path being such that when the suction line of a unit is inactive such connections are operative to render the first of said supply lines active beyond the freezing walls to receive the refrigerant from such walls and deliver'it as therefrigerant supply for the freezing activity of the freezing walls of a succeeding freezing unit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT CHARLES DAVIS. 

